The Act (Musical)
| Musical dates | |
|---|---|
| Title: | The Act |
| Original language: | English |
| Music: | John Kander |
| Book: | George Furth |
| Lyrics: | Fred Ebb |
| Premiere: | October 29, 1977 |
| Place of premiere: | new York |
| Place and time of the action: | Las Vegas, Nevada (USA), 1977 |
| Roles / people | |
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The Act is an American musical in two acts by John Kander and Fred Ebb from 1977. The libretto is written by George Furth . The main role was played by Liza Minnelli . The Act saw 233 performances in New York's Majestic Theater by July 1, 1978and is considered to be one of the most expensive musicals in Broadway history.
action
The musical revolves around the failed film actress "Michelle Craig", who is hoping for a comeback as a nightclub singer in Las Vegas . The viewer experiences her during the planning and staging of her Las Vegas show, during which she also remembers her past: a marriage with an aged film producer, an abortion, a love affair that led to a divorce from her unloved husband, as well as professional success and failures.
Songs
first act
- Shine It On
- It's the strangest thing
- Bobo's
- Turning
- Little Do They Know
- Arthur in the Afternoon
- Hollywood, California
- The Money Tree
Second act
- City lights
- There When I Need Him
- Hot Enough for You?
- Little Do They Know
- final
- My own space
Awards
Liza Minnelli won the 1978 Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical .
Further nominations for this theater award went to:
- Barry Nelson for Best Actor in a Musical ,
- John Kander and Fred Ebb for the best original music ,
- Halston for the best costume design,
- Tharon Musser for the best light design
- and Ron Lewis for Best Choreography.
Background and reception
Director Martin Scorsese brought together several people from the New York, New York (1977) film crew for this project , including Kander and Ebb for music and Theadora Van Runkle for costumes. During the out-of-town try-outs from July 1977 in the run-up to the Broadway running time, the title of the play was still In Person , later Shine It On and it was partially panned by critics . For the New York premiere , the name was changed again, as were the costumes, the new designs of which Roy Halston Frowick took over, and Minnelli's hairstyle . In contrast to the Scorsese, experienced theater director Gower Champion joined the company at the end of September 1977 and reduced the dialogue scenes.
Richard Eder of the New York Times said, “ The Act showcases Liza Minnelli's breathtaking stage presence, demonstrating a gift that goes beyond mere talent - absolutely stunning. Liza is not the first among equals ; it is the first of its kind. "According to Variety, Minnelli delivered an" incredibly dynamic performance "and a" personal triumph "and was" impressive in her versatility, concentrated strength and sustained energy ". Theater critic Howard Kissel, however, described The Act as a “highly arrogant concept” and “certainly not good theater, but not even an imitation of a Las Vegas nightclub performance, but at best an imitation of the Hollywood film version of Las Vegas -Acts' ". John Simon of New York magazine completely sacked Minnelli's performance and accused her of not having any talent, but "just bravado, pathos and energy." Actress Carol Burnett was outraged in a letter to Time Magazine because Simon's aggressive criticism compared Minnelli's face to that of a Beagle .
The Act was very well received by the audience and was able to recoup its high production costs of around 1 million US dollars. The musical is still considered to be one of the most expensive of its kind; it took about $ 92,000 worth of costumes, and about $ 80,000 more was spent on the sets.
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b ibdb.com
- ↑ a b c d e At any price . In: Der Spiegel . No. 50 , 1977 ( online ).
- ↑ Schechter: The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook. 2004, pp. 57-58.
- ↑ Schechter: The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook. 2004, p. 58, cit. n. Eder.
- ↑ Schechter: The Liza Minnelli Scrapbook. 2004, p. 59, cit. n. Hobe.
- ↑ Leigh: Liza. The life of Liza Minnelli. 1995, p. 208, cit. n. Simon.
- ↑ http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100587126 , accessed January 7, 2014.